By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
The light is starting to appear at the end of the tunnel, as Sullivan County Facilities and Operations Director Mary Bourque said the Sullivan County Health Care Project is moving along well, with a February 2025 completion in sight.
Bourque met with the county commissioners on Monday, where she said it is hitting home that things are coming to a point where she can actually think about moving as right around the corner. This week, the county is working on finalizing fabric selections and finishes for furniture. She noted that the hope is to get this done as soon as possible, as lead times tend to increase for upholstered items.
The Sullivan County Health Care renovation and revitalization is the largest part of the county’s Capital Improvement Plan. It is a $75 million project that is funded by a number of different sources. These include 45% from forgivable loans or awards from the state and federal government. Other reserves include the Capital Reserve Fund and ARPA fund. The Sullivan County Delegation has authorized up to $35 million in bonds to complete the project, according to information supplied by the county.
The project’s planning and feasibility study was completed in summer 2019, and the budget was approved in November 2022. Construction, being done by Harvey Construction, began in December 2022 and is expected to go through the end of December 2024.
Bourque gave an update about what Harvey Construction will be doing and how it impacts the project. Previously they wanted to drop the census to 126 from January to June, but Bourque expects 133 residents to be maintained throughout what she called “phase four.”
During five months of “phase three,” sunrooms and kitchenettes remained open. This decreases the time being restricted as far as social space, which she said is a “big benefit for everyone.”
Bourque said that the exterior and landscaping should be completed by November and they are looking at furniture installation by January. She added that final inspections should be in January, and since they scheduled to move on a weekend, the beginning of February is a good target.
Harvey Construction released $1.25 million of escalation contingency, Bourque said, so they will be able to use that directly to lower the amount of the bond. Bourque said she took this right out of the budget. She added that $42.5 million has been paid toward the project so far, with 50% from Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) funds. The other half comes from a variety of other sources.
Bourque said, “it’s really coming along.”
“Everything looks good,” Bourque said. “It’s exciting to start thinking about an end to this part of the construction.”
